


Reassurance

by ivoryseraphim



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Making Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:29:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29489076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivoryseraphim/pseuds/ivoryseraphim
Summary: Richard's stressed. As it turns out, trying to make the world a ‘better place’ is extremely difficult. Jared notices this and goes to comfort him. What happens between the two is something they definitely never saw coming.(A continuation of what happens after the season 2 finale)
Relationships: Jared Dunn/Richard Hendricks
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	Reassurance

**Author's Note:**

> basically I saw this post ( instagram.com/p/CKblvn1lAfb/ ) and instead of drawing it, I decided to write about it. the jarrich vibes are strong with this one.

Richard sinks down into the corner of his room, pulling his hoodie up and hugging his knees. 

He’s shaking, heart rapidly beating as he tries desperately not to burst out into floods of tears- or throw up.

“Fuck fuck _fuck_ _fuck_.” He mutters, rubbing his palms vigorously into his face.

He’s dealing with a lot. As it turns out, trying to make the world a ‘better place’ is extremely fucking difficult. Gavin Belson being up his ass twenty-four-seven, companies left right and centre trying to steal his algorithm, Russ being a pain to work with and now the news that Laurie has fired him from being the CEO of his own company? Richard runs his fingers through his curls, gripping the roots of his hair.

\--

Jared’s in the kitchen, putting a teaspoon of honey into his sleepy-time ginger tea. Bringing it up to his nose, he inhales deeply at the warm, sweet scent. He smiles to himself delightfully. Bobbing his teabag in the mug, Jared makes his way to the table where Dinesh and Gilfoyle chip away at fixing up a few bugs in the system. Sitting down in his seat and placing his mug on the coaster, he glances at Richard’s chair. 

Dinesh catches Jared staring into the abyss of Richard’s spot. He rolls his eyes.

“Hey guys, do you think I should check on Richard? He’s been in his room for... a while” Jared questions, rubbing the back of his neck. Dinesh sighs.

“I don’t know Jared, I guess? We’re kinda busy here” Dinesh says. Jared glances at Gilfoyle, who ignores him. 

“Okay um. I think I will, I’ll be right back” Fumbling with his hands, Jared gets up from his seat and walks towards Richard's bedroom. Putting his ear against the wood of the door, he can hear Richard mumbling to himself. Taking a deep breath, he knocks softly. Richard’s head shoots up from his knees, realising he’s been rocking back and forth.

“Richard, is everything okay?” 

It’s Jared. His voice is gentle. With no answer, Jared knocks again. 

“Richard?” Still, no answer. 

Richard can hear him but, he just can’t focus right now. He can't focus on anything, his mind is racing with anxiety. There’s so much going on, why can’t it just go away? What is he doing wrong here? Why is everyone out to ruin him in someway? All he wants to do is bring Pied Piper out into the world and see it succeed and help people. But no, he just can’t have that, can he?

Richard has no one he can talk to, he’s dealing with everything himself. Jared… he means well by suggesting a therapist but- does he think Richard has the time to see someone and talk about his problems? His first and only priority is to focus on Pied Piper and that’s it.

“Richard I- I hope you don’t mind me coming in...” Jared opens the door and peers in, spotting Richard across the room in the corner, sitting up-right against the wall.

“...Richard-” Jared steps in, closing the door gently behind him. He makes his way over. Richard looks up at Jared, his blue eyes are glassy. Jared crouches down to his height.

“Oh Richard, do you want to… talk?” Jared is tender and very soft spoken. Richard looks down at the floor as Jared shuffles and sits down next to him, they stay there in silence for a few moments.

“It’s just- it’s not fucking fair.” Richard finally speaks up. Jared parts his lips to reply, but decides not too. He needs to listen to Richard right now, be there for him.

Richard lifts his head up, tilting it back and lightly hitting it against the wall with a ‘thunk’. He takes a deep breath.

“Fucking ‘Silicon Valley’, the home to many tech start ups, huh? Why can’t Pied Piper be one of them? Why must there constantly _be_ obstacles that fucking stop us. I mean- I understand there was always going to be obstacles- but not fucking law suits over an algorithm _I_ developed. Hooli only wanted it because theirs was shit in comparison. And- and- _they stole_ the idea from me in the first place, because I genuinely scared them! And now I have to constantly be on alert so they don’t find a way to try and sabotage us again. Don’t even get me fucking started on EndFrame- those fucks knew _exactly_ what they were doing to us. They saw me and went 'Oh yeah we can totally fuck up these idiots' and they did! We- I, fell for them, and almost jeopardised the whole company. And now… Laurie has fired me. Fired the founder, creator, the CEO of his own company and replaced him with some fucking guy.”

Richard chuckles, ”Look at me, on my bedroom floor crying like a fucking pussy. Maybe Laurie is right, maybe I shouldn't be CEO. I’m a fucking mess.”

Richard brings his head back down, his eyes welling up as he takes a deep breath. 

“I-I just, fuck. I don’t know Jared, I’m tired.”

Jared notices Richard’s voice starting to shake.

“...When I fall asleep, everything is gone. All my problems, Pied Piper, Russ, Laurie, Gavin- it’s just me. I imagine myself at my desk, playing around with different lines of code. Just feeling… calm. In my, uh, element… I just miss it.” 

Jared takes a moment to absorb everything Richard just vented to him, and takes this opportunity to say something.

“It’s okay to feel this way, Richard. You’ve been dealing with a lot, way too much. I never knew any of this would happen to you…” Jared trails off.

“...But, can I tell you something?”

Richard swivels on the carpet so that his body is facing Jared, but he’s still looking at the floor. He fiddles with his shoelace. 

“Yeah.” 

“When I witnessed you turn down that ten million dollars from Gavin, I was awestruck. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. In that moment, I saw someone who wants to see what he created in his bedroom flourish and grow into something amazing. Something this world has never seen. I still see someone who has a passion and a love for something he created all on his own. You’ve made it this far, Richard. You’ve had so many people and companies try to tear you down and defeat you. But… you keep getting back up. When you hit roadblocks, you always figure out a way to solve them. I mean, gosh Richard, the amount of people who would have given up at this point or just sold away their dream is uncanny. And yet, here you still are. Wanting to pursue your creation, what you love. You’re incredible, Richard Hendricks.”

Richard’s eyes meet Jared’s, a few tears falling down his cheeks. Jared’s eyes are caring and soft. He places a hand tentatively on Richard’s knee. 

Richard doesn’t mind. It’s… reassuring.

“I know, you’re stressed. You have every right to be. But… I know you’ll find your footing. Even when you think you can’t, you always do. That’s what made me fall head over heels for you, Richard. You’re strong minded, smart, remarkable… you’re unlike any other ‘tech start up’ I’ve ever seen. The guys are here for you, and so am I. I will always be by your side. I _know _you can get through this and make it out on top.”__

____

____

Richard blinks a few times, at a loss for words on how to respond to Jared. He soaks everything in, a small smile forming on his lips.

Without a second thought, Jared brings his hand up hesitantly towards Richard, cupping his cheek gently and tilting his face upwards. Richard flinches at the sudden touch. Jared’s heart is beating fast, knowing that he shouldn’t have done that. Any second now, Richard’s gonna swipe his hand away and tell him to leave. 

But… he doesn’t. 

Richard closes his eyes, letting another tear roll down his cheek. He rests his face into Jared’s palm, letting out a deep sigh. All of that pent up frustration, sadness, stress…was let out in that moment. Jared holding him like this... It feels nice. Richard feels reassured.

“Thank you, Jared. That… means a lot to me”

Jared wipes away Richard's tear with a soft swipe of his thumb, admiring how long his lashes are. Richard brings his hand up, holding onto Jared’s forearm, pressing his face in more. His lips are touching Jared’s fingers now, he can feel Richard’s warm breaths against him.

Jared’s never wanted anything more than to see Richard relax. He’s always so tense, hyper-focused, never taking time for himself. He’s constantly putting himself under pressure dealing with Pied Piper, and when he’s not, he will find something else to stress over in the meantime. 

Richard’s grip tightens as he pulls on the fabric of Jared’s sleeve, letting out another sigh.

Now that Jared thinks about it, Richard is letting him touch him. He _let_ Jared touch him. Jared has always wanted to know why Richard is so sensitive when it comes to physical affection. When they won TechCrunch and Jared ran on stage to hug him without a second thought, Richard hugged back joyfully. Embracing Jared in the heat of the moment. Cheer and joy coursing through their veins. 

That was the last time they touched. Since then, it’s been Jared making moves and Richard always flinching back. Has someone hurt him? Maybe a friend, family member or previous partner? Those thoughts consume Jared sometimes. He just wants to know. He wants to make sure Richard is okay, that he doesn’t have anything bottled up that’s eating away at him on the inside.

But for now, in this moment, Jared wonders what made Richard feel comfortable to change his mind so suddenly. 

Oh, right. Richard is against him right now, cheek in Jared’s palm and lips against his fingers. Jared’s eyes soften, admiring how delicate and small Richard is. He feels butterflies in his stomach at the thought of kissing him right now. It feels almost perfect.

Richard’s eyes flutter open softly, realising that he’s just been embraced by Jared’s touch, that he made the conscious decision to nuzzle himself into his warmth. His eyes widen in panic, releasing his tight grip on Jared’s arm and drawing back. Jared’s heart sinks at the loss of Richard’s touch. Already, Richard starts to scramble together a sentence to apologise.

“I-I’m so sorry uh, shit, that was uncalled for on my end- I didn’t mean too do that-”

“Richard?”

Jared interrupts him, eyes are tender and filled with adoration. He’s making heavy eye contact. Richard blinks, mind racing with thoughts as he stares back at him. 

They’re so close together. 

Jared brings his hand back up to cup Richard’s cheek again, gently bringing Richard’s face closer to his. Richard’s body stiffens at Jared’s touch, but he melts into him easier this time. He doesn’t retaliate, he doesn't resist. 

He doesn't want to.

Jared flicks his eyes down to Richard’s lips, hinting at permission. Realising what Jared’s communicating, Richard does the same. 

Jared can tell that he’s nervous.

“It’s okay...”

Jared presses his lips chastely against Richard's, whose eyes are shut tight. Their minds are racing at lightning speed. They stay there for a second or two, both of their lips not moving. Jared pulls back slowly, already regretting everything and preparing how to say sorry to him. 

But then he notices Richard… his cheeks are dusted crimson and eyelids are heavy as he softly bites his bottom lip. Before Jared can say anything, Richard reaches to grab a hold of Jared’s collar, pulling his head backdown and locking their lips together.

This time, Richard parts his lips, letting Jared take control. Jared kisses him deep and slow. Uncertainty still lingers between them, but their desperation overtakes those concerns. They need this, they need each other.

Jared’s hand finds a place against the flush skin of Richard’s neck, running his fingers behind the back of Richard’s head. His middle and index finger twirl a few wisps of his dirty blonde curls. Richard whimpers into Jared’s mouth at the sensation of his hair being played with. He hasn’t felt like this… ever. He’s never had anyone kiss him so emotionally, passionately… lovingly. He’s never even had anyone hold him. 

Jared eagerly runs his tongue along Richard’s bottom lip, Richard gasps softly at the surprise, with his mouth falling open immediately. He travels his hands into Jared’s hair, messing it up as he threads his fingers through the dark tufts, pulling softly. He can feel Jared smiling in between messy kisses, humming with contentment.

After a solid few minutes of making out, they both pull back breathlessly. Taking time to catch their breaths and settle their heart rates. Richard’s grip loosens in Jared’s hair, his hands falling down to meet Jared’s. Their hair is messy and lips are red, with Richard’s cheeks more scarlet. Jared finds it cute with how inexperienced Richard is.

They hold each other’s hands, sitting in comfortable silence. Jared turn’s Richard’s over, rubbing small, soft circles into palms.

“That… was…” 

“Not what you expected?” Jared interrupts.

“...Just what I wanted.”

Jared is surprised at Richard’s response.

“But uh, yeah, and that. Wasn't expecting that at all.”

Richard looks into Jared’s eyes with tenderness, he’s a little embarrassed at how desperate he felt, completely over-indulging himself against Jared's lips. 

They go back to staying quiet, as Jared continues to massage Richard’s hands. Both of them not knowing what to say. Just enjoying each other's company. Richard admires Jared’s hands, they're so much bigger compared to his. When Jared holds his, he feels protected and safe. It’s actually a pretty nice feeling.

“Well,” Jared eventually breaks the silence, “I was thinking of ordering some take-away tonight.”

“Oh?”

“...My treat” Jared adds on.

“Uh, thanks but… Jared you don’t have to do that. It’d be expensive buying food for all of us.”

“Nonsense Richard, I’d just be paying for you.”

“Jared…”

“Hey, it’s okay. You deserve it, you’ve been working hard. Besides, I want to treat you.” 

Richard blushes at the praise.

“Now, tell me what you fancy. The guys will just have to deal with whatever _The_ Richard Hendricks wants” Jared grins.

__

__

Richard chuckles “Uhh how about some burgers, then? I’d just like a cheeseburger. My appetite isn't really big tonight, sorry, I hope that’s okay.”

Jared threads their fingers together, intertwining them.

“You don’t need to apologise for how you feel Richard, it’s alright.”

Richard bites his bottom lip softly, nodding.

“Okay.”

“Burgers it is!” Jared beams, leaning forward and pecking Richard on the cheek. He gets up off the floor with ease and makes his way towards the door. 

“I’ll take care of whatever it is you were last working on. I know it’s not code, so I should be able to do it. Might put together a few more boards or two. Like SWOT!” Jared is giddy. Maybe a little love-struck, too.

Richard rubs his cheek gently. Is he still blushing? Jesus. 

“Actually, uh, Jared...”

“Hmm?” Jared turns back round to face Richard, who’s still on the ground pretty flustered. 

“Maybe… would you like to help me out tonight?” Richard says quickly. Jared’s eyes widen with delight. “I’ve been trying to deal with a lot on my own recently, as you know, and uh, I could really use your help. You’re great at organising and you know everything to do with corporate resources so...” Richard trails off.

“...I just want you to stay beside me this evening. I want your company” Richard looks up at him.

“Oh Richard, of course. I’d love too” Jared places one hand on his chest, while the other twists the door handle from behind.

“One- one more thing” Richard pipes up again. “Thank you Jared. I mean it. And… I’d like to do that again sometime”

Jared can’t believe what he’s hearing, he’s waited for a moment like this with Richard for so long, so, so long.

“Me too, Richard. How about after dinner, once we’ve gone through some plans and ticked off a few boxes on our to do list… We can discuss that. and do it again.”

Richard smiles softly “I’d like that.”


End file.
